


SPF

by FadedSepia



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: 2x3x5, 3x5x2, 5x2x3, Innuendo, M/M, Multi, Nudist Wufei, One Shot, Short One Shot, Sunburn, beach, the answer is still 30 so who cares?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-25 13:40:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12532780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FadedSepia/pseuds/FadedSepia
Summary: Wufei, Trowa, and Duo discuss sunburn and beachwear.





	SPF

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Talliya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talliya/gifts), [ClaraxBarton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaraxBarton/gifts).



> This came out of the list circulated by ClaraxBarton a few weeks ago. I decided to feature Talliya's favourite triad in this little one shot.

Wufei repositioned himself on the bed, trying to sit comfortably, but finding even the soft cotton of his pants slightly abrasive after a day on the beach. Of course, his discomfort was minimal compared to the man before him. With a nod, mostly to himself, he got back to work.

 “Oow! Damnit, 'Fei, that hurts!" Duo hissed and tried to squirm further forward onto the bed.  
  
"You _could_ have sat still earlier, Duo; you _have_ to sit still now." He lightly patted the aloe-soaked cotton ball across the other man's shoulders, careful of the slight blisters already beginning to form. "This is what you get for running around the beach all day without stopping back by the tent."  
  
"I already had to keep my sunglasses on almost all day! It's not fair..!” Duo would usually have followed this with an overblown flailing of hands, but his sunburn put the kibosh on that. Instead, he only drooped a bit, sighing. “How come I'm the only one that got extra crispy?"  
  
"Aside from certain features,” Wufei gently tugged at Duo's braid before patting the top of his head, “genetics weren't kind to you, Maxwell. Besides which, you know you're too fair-skinned to go out in the sun that long."  
  
"Just had to get in a short joke, didn't ya, ‘Fei?” Never mind that he was a battle-hardened soldier, a decorated Preventers agent, or an international - hell, _interplanetary_ \- hero: Duo Maxwell was short, and sunburnt, and now he was pouting. “But Quatre was out there-"  
  
"Yes, under the tent." Trowa was still fighting with the zip on his wetsuit top, finally succeeding, but only because his abilities as a contortionist let him tug down the zipper from the back. "And he'd be just as red - believe me - except that he stopped for sunscreen and spent time out of the water."  
  
"It sucks! Nobody ever gets light-burn on L2! I never used to be all red and spotty and shit before I came earthside. Never had to wear shades all the time, either!1" Duo scrubbed a hand over the freckles that had come to dust his nose and cheeks, wincing at the sting caused just by brushing his hand over his face. "I look like a speckled, pink frog!"  
  
"Stop whining." Wufei dabbed the last bare spot on the braided man's shoulder, gently kissing the back of his head. "Your freckles are charming, and I still think you look absolutely delicious."  
  
In spite of the pain as his skin pulled, Duo turned halfway around to glare at him. "Do you have heat stroke?"  
  
"Don't be sore about it, Duo. You know how much Wufei likes lobster."  
  
"Hah. Hah hah hah. _Now_ the clown has jokes." Fighting through the pain, Duo slipped off his sunglasses and chucked them at Trowa. Not, of course, that there was much point at trying to hit the other man, but it made him feel a bit better.  
  
Trowa shrugged out of the way, leaving the glasses to smack into the laundry hamper beside him. He went back to peeling off the upper half of the wetsuit, revealing that he, too, had gotten a lot of sun. Even so, it had been worth it to spend time with his friends

When Quatre had suggested a beach trip, Trowa had been understandably nervous. The beach meant bathing suits, which meant showing skin, which meant showing _scars_ … It had taken the combined forces of the other two young men in the room - unyielding persistence and irrefutable logic - to get him to agree. The thick neoprene, which covered him fully to the elbows and knees, was suggested as sure protection against unwanted stares. He couldn’t wear his turtleneck to the beach without drawing attention; this was an acceptable substitute that lent a similar sence of safety.2

Unfortunately, it also made for hellish tan lines.

Duo giggled as the damp navy fabric pulled away, revealing skin nearly as pale as his own, a stark contrast to the warm light-brown of Trowa's face and lower arms. He might complain about being a Mediterranean mutt, but, whatever his background, Trowa's skin was _made_ to be sun-kissed. Not that Duo would actually say that _now_. "You look like a patchwork quilt."

The tall man shook his head, muttering in Sardo3 at the other's laughter. The top half of wetsuit landed with a fwat! on the floor. From his spot behind Duo, out of sight of both men, Wufei took a moment to admire the view.

"All done, Maxwell… Now get off the bed. Your suit is leaving a wet spot.”

“But it hurts when I move my arms…” Gingerly, accompanied by a string of soft whimpers, Duo leaned forward to stretch out across the cool sheets just to spite him. He lifted his hips slightly, hiding a smile as Wufei took the hint and pulled the swim trunks off for him.

“Behold, the terror that is Shinigami.” There was only a hint of derision as he tugged down the still wet black and silver swim trunks, but Wufei didn't let him off completely scot-free. Duo earned himself a swat across one newly exposed, lily-white cheek. Not that he minded too terribly… Damn.

Now uncomfortable for _multiple_ reasons, Duo shifted against the top sheet. “Seriously, though, how come the sun does such freaky shit to your skin? Don't you think it's weird?”

Trowa shrugged, still struggling out of the bottom half of his suit, having sat on the floor when his feet got caught. "It's a tan, Duo... You get freckles, I tan… It happens.”

“Yeah, but why not over your whole body? I mean, I know why not, but... can it happen everywhere?”

Wufei interjected. “It can.”

“Even the sunburn?”

Wufei shrugged, untying his hair and running his fingers through it, shaking out a last bit of sand. “Duo, you can tan everywhere except your palms and the soles of your feet. And – yes – you can sunburn everywhere. Trust me…”

“Yeah? How do you know?” With his head propped on his arm and one leg drawn up, Duo had finally found a position that didn’t tug at his skin. He took the moment of comfort to eye the dark-haired man.

"I... don't like how I look with tan lines..."

Despite not caring much at all for other people's opinions, they had learned over the years that Wufei was, surprisingly, more than a little vain. Not that he valued other’s opinions of his looks, only that he was as particular about his appearance as he’d been about his Gundam.

“And?”

"I went on a walk after lunch. I believe that was about the time you both got distracted by a crab.” Wufei walked across the bungalow, grabbing the discarded wetsuit top on the way so that he could hang next to Duo's shorts over the window ledge.

“Oh, yeah... And?” ‘Fei was being more evasive than usual today.

Trowa tossed him the bottom half of the suit and reached for his beach towel. “How does that explain not wanting tan lines?”

“I simply make sure I do not get them.” Wufei, in turn, slipped off his beach cover and threw the it towards Trowa and the hamper. He stretched, fighting a yawn, and rubbed his newly bared shoulders.

“Wait, but did you get-? Yeah, you got a tan!” Duo was understandably confused. As far as he could remember, the L5 pilot had spent most of the day reading under the large cabana tent he and Quatre had set up, and he hadn't been swimming at all. Having opted for drawstring cotton pants and a long-sleeved beach cover over his tank, Duo wasn't certain just _how_ that was possible. Wufei had been almost completely covered. Yet, sure enough, there was a telltale golden pink tinge to the other man's skin, and it wasn’t a blush.

“How? You're _definitely_ darker than you were this morning, Wu, and I know _you_ didn’t go swimming with me and Tro...” If it hadn’t drawn the skin on his face so tightly, Duo would have been in a full pout.

Wufei busied himself with re-adjusting the hanging wetsuit, glad _he_ hadn't been the one wearing it. Unlike Trowa and Heero, he'd never enjoyed the feeling that his clothes were trying to take him down. 4 Even Trowa’s and Duo's fitted jeans looked restrictive: Damned sexy, but still too tight for his comfort. Better to attend to this than the stares he could practically feel against his back.

“C’mon, ‘Fei, spill…” Duo’s demand was underscored by Trowa’s decision to throw one of the damp beach towels at Wufei.

It landed in a wet lump by his feet. Wufei begrudgingly hung it up next to the suits over the windowsill. Shucking his tank, he turned around, arms crossed over his chest. “Ah, yes, well... the beach is nude about a mile from where we set up, so, when I went for a walk, I got some sun.”

"You were naked? Out in public?” Trowa had been the one to ask; Duo was too busy letting his mouth hang open.

“Given current standards of beach attire, I wasn't so very under-dressed, Barton.5” Wufei threw his tank-top into their shared hamper, bending over Trowa as he reached for a towel. “Unless you mean to imply I imposed an unpleasant view on my fellow beach goers?”

Though more difficult to see in his face, the paler skin of Trowa's neck revealed his blush. Their boyfriend had been naked in public… and he'd missed it! He shook his head, hiding a grin, and a small bit of disappointment, behind his hair as Wufei walked back toward the bed.

Growing increasingly less comfortable laying down, and finding the pain of his sunburn more bearable by the second, Duo stared from his half prone position on the mattress. “So you got a tan... everywhere? Even..?”

Wufei smirked back at the two, reaching over Duo to snag the aloe as he made his way into the bathroom. He tugged at his waistband where it sat on his hip as he opened the door. “... Would you like to find out?”

Despite his burns, Duo almost beat Trowa as they rushed to catch up with him in the shower… almost.

|~|~|

Even with the risks of sunburn and sand in delicate places, Quatre was glad he planned this group vacation. The chance to relax with comrades had been something they'd all needed, judging by the current level of activity in the beach house. Trowa had pretzeled himself into a corner of the couch, nose buried in some tawdry murder mystery paperback. Duo and Wufei were both asleep, the former draped sideways over his bed to avoid anything touching his still tender back, the latter stretched out on a blanket on the porch. Even Heero had managed to relax a bit, busying himself with completing the 5000 piece puzzle he'd started before breakfast.6

He dabbed at a last spot on the end of his nose with the fluff of vinegar soaked cotton. Thanks to repeated moments in the shade of the tent, his sunburn was mild, but it did itch something fierce! Quatre was _sure_ they’d still had most of a bottle of aloe gel left, but he certainly hadn’t been able to find it when he and Heero had come back with dinner. Tucking away the cider vinegar back in the kitchen, he joined Trowa in the living room and made himself comfortable in an oversized club chair.

It was a few moments before Trowa dropped his book, glancing over at the blond with a look of mild confusion. “Quatre, why do you smell like pickles?”

“Well, we seem to have run out of aloe, and I was starting to itch, so I diluted some of the vinegar.7 Auda showed me that trick a few years ago.”

Heero’s head snapped up from the puzzle table, all of his attention now focused on the pair in the living room. “How have we run out of aloe? Even accounting for your and Duo’s sensitivities to UV radiation, we've outpaced my usage calculations by 37 percent. What we had should have lasted us until Sunday.8”

“We used it.” Trowa looked back down at his book and casually turned to the next page “Wufei used some, and we had to do Duo twice.”

“Oh, no! Was his sunburn that bad?” Quatre couldn’t help glancing back toward the bedroom, thinking of just how pained the braided man must have been. “Should we get something stronger?”

“No. Wufei and I got him covered.” The L3 pilot's ability to smirk, even showing only a single eye, and with his face hidden behind a book, was a marvel. His tone spoke the volumes his words left unwritten. “It was a team effort.”

Quatre blanched, understanding dawning behind aqua eyes. Trowa _would_ find a way to innocuously be this completely honest. No wonder both Duo and Wufei had decided to take naps, especially with that as a follow up to a day on the beach.

Heero was undeterred. “Hilde and Dorothy are joining us for the weekend. Both of them are prone to burning, and Hilde rarely takes the proper precautions. This will throw off our budget…8”

"Trowa will cover it.” Quatre called back over his shoulder. He turned back to his best friend, hoping to needle some details out of him, but it was too late. With a slight smile still on is lips, Trowa was already asleep. Fighting the urge to untangle his limbs and tuck him in properly, Quatre turned off the side-table lamp.

**Author's Note:**

> 1 – I have a close friend who is very pale and easily burned. He also has bright blue eyes. I borrow Duo’s sunlight sensitivity from him.  
> 2 – Beyond the fashion of the tactical turtleneck, I always saw Trowa as liking things up around his neck for a protective feeling (e.g.: his turtleneck, his scarf) because they give him something else to his behind.  
> 3 – Head-canon where Trowa had worked with so many merc groups that he’s a bit of a polyglot, at least with invective and cursing.  
> 4 – Mitch Hedberg had a joke about a turtleneck feeling like a really weak guy trying to choke you all day, and how a turtleneck and a backpack felt like a small person trying to take you down. I imagine Wufei shares this sentiment.  
> 5 – One day, I will write a fic where Wufei is not an unabashed anti-clothesist/nudist… Today is NOT that day!  
> 6 – Puzzles have always been a staple of beach holidays, especially as something to do when everyone else is taking time for naps. I imagine Heero feeling uncomfortable when he can’t be productive, and Quatre giving him puzzles as something meticulous to keep his attention.  
> 7 – This actually works! Apple cider vinegar and water help keep the skin moist and stop the itching on minor burns. Another trick from my mum, who keeps showing up to learn Quatre some knowledge.  
> 8 – Heero’s behaviour is based on my grandmother, who usually planned our family beach trips when I was a child. She would literally count out how many tomatoes to buy with a calculation involving how many people would eat how many sandwiches per day, and how many slices each sandwich would get. She is painfully thrifty, and loves to do puzzles after a day on the beach. Sorry, Heero…  
> 9 - Also, Wufei's discomfort at the beginning is exactly what you thought it was: Wufei got a little sunburnt on his butt.


End file.
